NEWS

A look at what a mid-level metal band can expect to make on a 30-day tour

In December, vocalist CJ McMahon left Thy Art Is Murder, which was a move that shocked just about anyone familiar with the band. In his personal statement, McMahon stated that one of the biggest reasons behind his departure was money. “I/we have been broke for years and being 32 years old I can't live like this anymore,” he wrote. “I am getting married next year and plan on having a family, these things cost money, to put the finances into perspective for you I/we have earned between $16k-$18k each over 6-7 years.”

This has brought about much debate regarding how much money artists actually make on tour. Derek Brewer, an employee of Outerloop Management who handles day-to-day affairs for Veil Of Maya, Crown The Empire and others, has written an in-depth op-ed piece for MetalSucks that offers worthwhile insight into the touring life of a mid-size metal band.

Additionally, he breaks down a touring budget from 2015 that he put together and oversaw. Take a look for yourself below and let us know your thoughts.

What follows is a basic synopsis of a touring budget. This is an actual tour budget from 2015 I that I have personally overseen and put together. I feel it is a good representation of what is going on out there, but I want to give a few bullet points first before you dive in.

• Some numbers might fluctuate slightly at any given time (hotels, gas, etc.).
• These numbers are based on a typical guarantee of a touring band in the metal world that sells approximately 500 tickets at mid-size clubs. I also factored in a low-end conservative estimate of merch sales from each show, along with the typical rate that crew members would expect.
• I am running this budget with a 15-passenger van and trailer that is RENTED from a company. Because I don’t expect my clients to sleep on the floor of a van every night (that is their choice entirely if they want) I have included cheap hotels nightly into the budget as well.
• This is a 32 day tour; 30 of those days performing along with one-day driving to start and one day driving home.